Pirates seize Singapore tanker

KUALA LUMPUR – A Singapore-registered tanker was seized by pirates while sailing in Malaysian waters and robbed of its marine fuel before releasing it, a senior Malaysian coast guard official said on Sunday.

The ship lost contact with port authorities late Saturday, several hours after it left the Indonesian city of Tanjung Pinang, according to Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar, deputy director for operations of the agency.

Ahmad Puzi said the ship, with 10 crew members and carrying 3,500 tonnes of marine fuel, was en route to the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi when it was attacked.

He said the vessel was located Sunday morning off the Indonesian Island of Pulau Rupat. He said two of the crew numbers suffered injuries during the attack and were being treated at a nearby hospital.

The Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau piracy monitoring centre said 92 incidents of piracy attacks have been recorded in South-East Asian waters from January to June, the most of any region around the world.